Door check and closer.



W. J. NEIDL.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.23. 1911.

1,291,605. Patented Jan. 14,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR ATTORTEY W. J. NEIDL.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG423, I917.

Patented Jan. M, 1919.

SHEET 2.

2 SHEETS I INVENTOR 4 7;

ATTORTEY WILLIAM J. NEIDL. OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

Application filed August 23, 1917. Serial No. 187,878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. N EIDL, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in DoorChecks and Closers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to door checks and closers, and primarily to acombination device that closes the door through the operation of a coilspring and checks the closing by a pneumatic device such as a dash-potwhich checks the speed of the door and causes the same to close Withoutnoise.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a door check andcloser, means whereby the tension of the spring may be increased ordecreased asdesired in order to have the proper pressure upon the doorto close the same Without subjecting it to a greater force than isdemanded, said device being readily adjusted and may, when desired, beentirely released in order to relieve the door from the operation of thedevice.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which shall be made strong and of relatively few parts, ofsimple construction, not liable to get out of order and in which thetension of the spring may be adjusted by anyone without being requiredto callin a person of technical skill to adjust the spring to the weightof the door.

WVith the above as the principal objects in view, the invention consistsin the novel construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved door stop and check,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and

Fig. 3 is an end view.

In the drawings, 10 indicates a bracket designed to support the severalparts of the device, said bracket comprising a horizontal member 11 anda vertical member 12, the latter member being rovided with a pluralityof openings 13 therein for the insertion of screws to secure the bracketagainst. the inside of a door frame. At one side of the bracket 10, theupright or vertical member 12 has a horizontal projection 14 thatextends a short distance beyond the bracket and has secured thereon abearing 15 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The bottom member 11 of the bracket 10 is preferably rounded as shownand near the front edge thereof, is mounted a vertical bolt 16 securedby a nut 17 on the under side of the bracket and above the bracket is aswinging plate 18 turning on said. bolt and a ratchet wheel 19immediately above the plate. The plate 18 is furnished with an outwardlyprojecting arm 20 terminating in a finger piece 21 by means of which theplate 18 is swung about the bolt 16. Extending out from the arm 20 is alug 22 on which is pivotally mounted a pawl 23 adapted to engage theratchet wheel and be held in engagement therewith by a spring 24 hereshown as formed of wire bent about a pin 25 projecting upwardly fromsaid lug with one end placed in engagement with the pawl 23 and theother inserted in an opening in the arm 20, said spring serving to keepthe pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel, and when said handle isturned in one direction to turn the ratchet wheel, reverse movement ofthe ratchet wheel being prevented by a second pawl 26 pivoted to thebracket 10 on the opposite side of the ratchet wheel.

Coiled about the bolt 16 and extending upwardly from the ratchet wheelfor some distance, is a spring 27, the lower end of said spring beingconnected to the ratchet wheel, the upper end passing between twodepending pins 28 on the under side of an arm 29 pivotally mounted onthe bolt 16 above the spring, said arm extending outwardly for somedistance and is pivoted at its extremity to a link 30, the opposite endof said link being pivoted to a bracket 31 that is designed to besecured to the side of a door. The arm 29 is maintained in place on thebolt 16 by a nut 32 threaded on the upper end of the bolt. Projectingfrom one side of the arm 29 where the latter is mounted on the bolt 16is a smaller arm 33 the purpose of which will now be described.

At the side of the bracket 10 and in front of the projection 14. is adash-pot 34: comprising a cylinder 35 having an car 36 on its rear endpivoted by means of a pin 37 in the bracket 15 and supported midway itslength by an arm 38 extending outwardly from the bottom 11 of thebracket 10. Slidable within the cylinder 35 is the usual piston, (notshown) mounted on a piston rod 39 extending through one end of saidcylinder and pivotally connected to a link 40 that extends forwardlyfrom the end of the short arm 38 where it is in turn, pivoted by meansof a bolt 41. The operation of this dashpot being well understood, nofurther expla nation or illustration thereof need be given. For thepurpose of maintaining the cylinder 35 in proper position at all times,with relation to the other portion of the device, there is provided aspring secured to the bracket 10 by a screw 4E6, one arm of said springbearing against the upright portion 12 of the bracket and the other armagainst the side of the cylinder 35 serving to swing the cylinder to thenormal position shown in the drawings after it has been moved inwardlythrough the operation of the door when opened. A spring 47 is alsoprovided as shown to maintain the pawl 26 in engagement with the ratchetwheel 19.

In using this device, the bracket 10 is screwed to the door framepreferably near the top of the door and the smaller bracket 31 similarlyfastened to the door proper, in about the relative position shown inFig. 1. After being secured in place, if upon testing the door, thespring 27 be found too weak to properly return the door, the arm 20 ismoved back and forth to cause the pawl 2-3 to engage the ratchet wheel19 and turn the latter, which will wind up the spring 27 until theproper tension is reached, the pawl 26 preventing reverse rotation ofthe ratchet wheel andspring. In summer, or at times when it is notdesired to use the door check and closer, the spring 27 may be relievedand the link 40 disconnected from the piston rod 39 by withdrawing thespring pin 48,

thus leaving the door perfectly free to be opened and closed or toremain open.

l V hat is claimed is:

1.. Ina door check and closer, a bracket adapted to be secured to a doorframe, a pin or bolt mounted on said bracket and adapted to stand invertical position, a lever pivoted on said pin and designed to beconnected at its outer end to a swinging door, a ratchet wheel pivotedon said pin and a swinging arm alSO pivoted on the pin below the ratchetwheel, a coil spring surrounding said pin connected at one end to saidratchet wheel and at its opposite end to said lever, a pawl mounted onsaid arm for actuating said ratchet wheel and a second pawl pivoted onthe bracket and engaging said ratchet wheel to prevent the rotationthereof.

2. In a door check and closer, the combination of a bracket adapted tobe securedto a door frame and having a horizontal member projectingoutwardly therefrom, a pin or bolt mounted in said projecting member, alateral extension from said bracket for supporting a dash-pot, an armpivotally mounted on the upper end of said pin and adapted to swing in ahorizontal plane, an outwardly projecting member on said arm, a linkconnecting said member with said dashpot, a coil spring surrounding saidpin below the lever and connected at one end to said lever, a ratchetwheel rotatable on said pin and connected to the lower end of saidspring, an arm also pivoted on said'pin carrying a pawl to engage theratchet wheel to rotate the same and increase the tension of the spring,and a second pawl to hold said ratchet wheel from reverse rotation.

3. In a door check and closer, the combination of a swinging lever, abracket, a pivot pin on the bracket for supporting the lever, means forattaching said lever to a door, a coil spring connected at one end tosaid lever for actuating the same to close the door, a ratchet wheelrotatable about the pivot of said lever and having the opposite end ofsaid spring connected thereto, an arm movable about said pivot andcarrying a pawl to engage said ratchet wheel for changing the tension ofsaid spring, and a dash-pot con nected to the lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' WILLIAM J. NEIDL. lVitnesses:

4 KATIE -MoRroN,

VILLIAM Ci-IAs. NEIDL.

@epflea oi? this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

